***Content warning: Eating disorders & Body dysmorphia
“Huge,” a psychological horror piece, follows Paloma as she grapples with her self-hatred and body dysmorphia that unexpectedly bloom from a child's drawing. In the picture, Paloma's goddaughter innocently makes Paloma look bigger than she is in reality, sending her down a dark spiral. Our first impression of Paloma is that she's experiencing a turbulent time in her life. She’s wracked with insecurities about her relationship, her appearance, and her being in-between jobs. Everyone around her notices that something’s off, but they only allude to it in whispers when she's out of earshot. Her goddaughter’s drawing only provokes Paloma's deep, pre-existing shame to surface.
This drama production also fits into the horror genre with its themes of monstrosity and good use of lighting elements. Paloma’s drawing-self is a bit unnerving as it flaps around and sardonically teases her. It pursues Paloma and speaks at the worst moments (ex. right before her and Danny decide to have a romantic evening together). The most horrific points in the film seem to be when Paloma is alone with her thoughts. The monstrosity element gets revealed through the drawing, but it's also a reflection of Paloma's views toward herself as monstrous. The lighting effects also contribute to a feeling of horror. In the first half of the short film, each scene is full of warm tones, giving a comforting, relational feeling. When Paloma’s thoughts take on physical form, blue tones shroud the film. It’s colder which reflects Paloma’s inner turmoil and isolation.
As for social commentary, this short film accurately depicts having an eating disorder in the 21st century. Paloma constantly listens to “weight-loss” podcasts/television shows that are full of diet culture. Everything is under the guise of “being healthy” or “self-love” but there are sinister undertones that lead to low-self esteem and disordered eating habits. Even Danny, her boyfriend, questions why she listens to such things. Paloma's drawing-self is only working with the toxic material Paloma gives her.
In conclusion, “Huge” does a great job in showcasing eating disorders and diet culture in the 2020s. If you’re prepared to deal with a creative exploration of difficult subject matter, you should give this short film a try!
Credits
Written by: Paloma Nozicka
Directed by: Danny Farber
Starring: Paloma Nozicka (Paloma), Danny Farber (Danny), Gunnar Anderson (Tom), Blanca Yanez (Cruz)
Here's the link on Xerb.tv: https://xerb.tv/channel/dff/video/12622
Image source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13470422/mediaviewer/rm896662273/
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